Plate glass rolling apparatus



Feb. 6, 1934. 1,946,397

J. H. FOX

PLATE GLASS ROLLING APPARATUS Filed Oct, 19, 1932 2 Sheets-Sheet lINVENTOR Feb. 6, 1934. FOX 1,946,397

PLATE GLASS ROLLING APPARATUS Filed Oct. 19, 1932 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 NEVZut-Z-Q INVENTOR Patented Feb. 6, 1934 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE JohnH. Fox, Pittsburgh, Pa., assignor to Pittsburgh Plate Glass Company, acorporation of Pennsylvania Application October 19, 1932. Serial No.638,494

10 Claims.

The invention relates to apparatus for forming a glass sheetcontinuously by a vertical rolling operation and particularly to themeans for supporting and driving the sizing rolls which are positionedwith their peripheries in a bath of glass in a draw pot. It has for itsprincipal objects: The provision of an improved construction permittingthe ready removal of the rolls for replacement and repair withoutdisturbing their driving mechanism; the provision of improved means foradjusting the rolls relative to the bath and for leveling them; and theprovision ofimproved driving means for the rolls. One embodiment of theinvention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings, wherein:

Figure l is a front elevation partially in section showing theapparatus. Fig. 2 is a plan view. And Fig. 3 is a side elevation.

Referring to the drawings, 1 is a melting tank containing a body ofmolten glass and connected at its front end with a floor hearth or drawpot 2 surrounded by the furnace wall 3 to provide the usual heatingchamber for the draw pot. Ex-

tending transversely of the draw pot is a pair of water cooled sizingrolls 4 and 5, having their peripheries submerged in the molten glass inthe draw pot. Extending upwardly and laterally from the pass between therolls is a curved apron made up of the rolls 6 over which the glasssheet passes after emerging from between the rolls. Leading from theapron formed by the rolls 6 is another apron section formed of the rolls7, 7, 7, which lead the glass sheet into the end of the usual rollerlehr, which is not shown.

Positioned in the basement 8, below the lehr floor 9 is a verticalframework made up of commercial sections, including the four corner bars10, two only'of which are shown, lying on opposite sides of the draw potand extending to a point a substantial distance above such pot. Theframework is tied together rigidly by means of the transverse channels11, 11 and 12, 12, the transverse bars 13, 13 and the diagonal channels14, 14.

At the upper end of the frame is a top member 15 of rectangular formsuitably bolted together, which top member acts as a support for thesizing rolls and the apron section made up of rolls 6. This isaccomplished by means of a pair of castings 16, 16 at the ends of themember 15, only one of which is shown, which carries two depending arms17 and 18, the arm 17 being rigid with the casting 16 and the arm 18being pivoted to the casting at 19. The lower ends of the arms '17 and18 are provided with bearings in which the ends of the rolls 4 and 5 arejournalled, the roll 4 being journalled in the fixed arm 17 and the roll5 being journalled in the movable arm 18. The arm 18 is extended to apoint above the top member 15, as indicated in Fig. 3, and is adjustedhorizontally by means of a screw member 20, thus providing means foradjusting the slot between the rolls 4 and 5. The screw 20 is threadedthrough the block 21 bolted to the top r'nember 15 and bears against theend of the arm 18, thus positively governing the amount of separationbetween the rolls. The spring 22 surrounds the screw 20 and yieldinglyforces the upper end of the arm to the right.

The top member 15 which is made up of channel bars, is provided on itsunder side with four screw sockets 23 located at the corners and eachengaged by a screw 24, such screw being threaded through the block 25carried by one of the corner members 10 of the framework. Each screw isprovided with an adjusting wheel 26, by means of which the screws may beturned to adjust them up and down. These screw devices at the fourcorners of the top member 15 provide a means for adjusting the sizingrolls vertically and for leveling them up. The top member is alsoprovided with four pick-up blocks 2'7 provided with pins 28, by means ofwhich engagement may be made with the top member for lifting it from anoverhead crane. Since the top member merely rests upon the upper end ofthe framework made up of members 10, it is a simple matter to remove thesizing rolls for replacement and re-; pair after the driving connectionsfor the rolls have'been disconnected.

The ends of the rolls are provided with swivels 29 with which waterpipes 30 are connected so that the rolls maybe cooled in the usual way.The ends of the rolls are also provided with tumblers 31, which alsoengage the ends of stub- 95 shafts 32, which constitute the drivingmeans leading from the reduction gearing for driving the rolls. Thereduction gearing is mounted upon a suitable bracket 33 carried by theframework of which the members 10, 10 constitute a part. This reductiongearing constitutes a pair of worm wheels placed side by side in thecasing 34 and driven from the worm on the vertical shaft 35. The axles36 and 37 of the worm wheels also carry spur gears 38, each of whichdrives a spur gear 39 on one of the stub-shafts 32. Mounted on the lehrfloor at the side of the framework 10, 10, is a standard 40 in which aremounted for rotation a pair of interengaging bevel gears 41 and 42, thehub of the gear 42 having splined thereto the vertical shaft 35. The hubof the shaft 41 is provided with a clutch member 43 adapted to beengaged by the clutch member 44 on the shaft 45. The shaft 45 is drivenfrom the same motor which drives the lehr rolls so that the movements ofthe lehr rolls and the sizing rolls are synchronized. The splinedconnection between the hub of the bevel gear 32 and the shaft permits ofthe vertical adjustment of the framework 10, 10 without interferencewith the drive between the shaft and the sizing rolls.

The framework 10, 10 is adjustable vertically by driving mechanismcomprising four screws 46, two only of which are shown, located at thecorners of the base of the framework and swiveled at their lower endsupon the supporting blocks 4'7. Each of the screws 46is provided with aworm located in the casings 48 and engaging a worm wheel. The worms arecarried upon the shafts 49, 49, which are connected by a sprocket chain50 passing around suitable sprockets on the shafts. One of the shafts 49is also provided with an additional sprocket around which passes thechain 51 driving from the sprocket 52 on the drive shaft 53 of the motor54.

Convenient means are thus provided for adjusting the framework 10, 10bodily to regulate the positions of the rolls 4 and 5 with respect tothe glass bath, or to entirely remove the rolls from the bath when it isdesired to do so. This adjustment may be made without any interferencewith the driving connections including the shafts 45 and 35 due to thesplined connection made by the shaft 35 with the bevel gear 42. Ifdesired, the position of the rolls may also be adjusted by means of thescrews 24, which regulate the position of the top member 15, suchadjustment also being possible without any interference with the drivingmechanism of the apparatus. When it is desired to move the rolls, thisis accomplished by disconnecting the tumblers 31 and removing the topmember 15 by means of an overhead crane. The driving connections are alllocated in accessible positions and. are not exposed to the heat fromthe bath such as occurs when the driving means are located at a pointabove the bath instead of below it.

A further advantage incident to the provision of'the means for adjustingthe framework 10, 10 and the top member 15 vertically is due to the factthat this permits the water, drain and driving connections to be madewhile the member 15 is in its high position before the rolling operationis started. If the top were set directly in low position, while theseconnections were being made, the bath would be too chilled beforeallpreparations could be made for the start and the rolls would be unevenlyheated due to their proximity to the bath while not rotating.

What I claim is:

1'. In combination in glass rolling apparatus including a draw pot forcarrying a bath of molten glass, and a pair of horizontal sizing rollsadapted to engage the glass in the bath, a vertical framework havingmembers at the sides of the pot extending from a point below the pot toa point thereabove with transverse connecting means, dependingsupporting mem bers carried by the framework in which the rolls rrejournalled, reduction gearing carried bythe framework at the side of thepot and connected to the rolls, means for driving the reduction gearingpermitting vertical movement of the reduction gearing and rolls relativeto the drive means,

and means for adjusting the framework bodily' in a vertical direction.

2. In combination in glass rolling apparatus including a draw pot forcarrying a bath of molten glass, and a pair of horizontal sizing rollsadapted to engage the glass in the bath, a vertical framework havingmembers at the sides of the pot extending from a point below the pot toa point thereabove with transverse connecting means, dependingsupporting members carried by the framework in which the rolls arejournalled, reduction gearing carried by the framework at the side ofthe pot and connected to the rolls, a drive shaft extending transverselyof the framework, driving connections between the drive shaft andreduction gearing including a vertical splined shaft permitting verticalmovement of the reduction gearing relative to the drive shaft, and meansfor adjusting the framework bodily in a vertical direction.

3. In combination in glass rolling apparatus including a draw pot forcarrying a bath of molten glass, and a pair of horizontal sizing rollsadapted to engage the glass in the bath, a vertical framework havingmembers at the sides of the pot extending from a point below the pot toa point thereabove with transverse connecting means, dependingsupporting members carried by the framework in which the rolls arejournalled, reduction gearing carried by the framework at the side ofthe pot and connected to the rolls, means for driving the reductiongearing permitting vertical movement of the reduction gearing and rollsrelative to the drive means, and screw means at the lower end of theframework for adjusting it bodily in a vertical direction.

4. In combination in glass rolling apparatus including a draw pot forcarrying a bath of moltenglass, and a pair of horizontal sizing rollsadapted to engage the glass in the bath, a vertical framework havingmembers at the sides of the pot extending froma point below the pot to apoint thereabove with transverse connecting means, depending supportingmembers carried by the framework in which the rolls are journalled,reduction gearing carried by the framework at the side of the pot andconnected to the rolls, means for driving the reduction gearingpermitting vertical movement of the reduction gearing and rolls relativeto the drive means, a plurality of screws supporting the framework, andpower means for operating the screws to, adjust the framework bodily ina vertical direction.

5. In combination in glass rolling apparatusincluding a draw pot forcarrying a bath of molten glass, and a pair of horizontal sizing rollsadapted to engage the glass in the bath, a vertical framework havingmembers at the sides of the pot extending from a point below the pot toa point thereabove, and having at its upper end a top member lying abovethe pot, depending supporting members carried by the top member in whichthe rolls are journalled, means at the corners of the top member forleveling it relative to the framework and draw pot, drive means for therolls permitting relative vertical movement of the frame and rollsrelative thereto, and means for adjusting the framework bodily in avertical direction. 6. In combination in glass rolling apparatusincluding a draw pot for carrying a bath of molten glass, and a pair ofhorizontal sizing rolls adapted to engage the glass in the bath, avertical framework having members at the sides of the pot extendingfrom. a point below the pot to a point thereabove, and having at itsupper end a removable top member lying above the pot, means at thecorners of the top member for adjusting such corners vertically relativeto the framework, depending supporting members carried by the top memberin which the rolls are journalled, means at the side of the frameworkfor driving the rolls, and means for adjusting the framework bodily in avertical direction.

7. In combination in glass rolling apparatus including a draw pot forcarrying a bath of molten glass, and a pair of horizontal sizing rollsadapted to engage the glass in the bath, a vertical framework havingmembers at the sides of the pot extending from a point below the pot toa point thereabove, and having at its upper end a removable top memberlying above the pot, means at the corners of the top member foradjusting such corners vertically relative to the framework, dependingsupporting members carried by the top member in which the rolls arejournalled, means at the side of the framework for driving the rolls,including a vertical shaft, a horizontal drive shaft, and gearingbetween the drive shaft and the vertical shaft with which the verticalshaft has a splined connection.

8. In combination in glass rolling apparatus including a draw pot forcarrying a bath of molten glass, and a pair of horizontal sizing rollsadapted to engage the glass in the bath, a vertical framework havingmembers at the sides of the pot extending from a point below the pot toa point thereabove, and having at its upper end a removable top member,means at the corners of the top member for adjusting such cornersvertically relative to the framework, depending supporting memberscarried by the top member in which the rolls are journalled, means atthe side of the framework for driving the rolls, including a verticalshaft, a horizontal drive shaft, and gearing between the drive shaft andthe vertical shaft with which the vertical shaft has splined connection,and means for adjusting the framework bodily in a vertical direction.

9. In combination in glass rolling apparatus including a draw pot forcarrying a bath of molten glass, and a pair of horizontal sizing rollsadapted to engage the glass in the bath, a vertical framework havingmembers at the sides of the pot extending from a point below the pot toa point thereabove, and having at its upper end a removable top memberlying above the pot, means for adjusting the top member vertically uponthe framework, depending supporting members.

carried by the top member in which the rolls are journalled, and meansat the side of the framework for driving the rolls.

10. In combination in glass rolling apparatus including a draw pot forcarrying a bath of molten glass, and a pair of horizontal sizing rollsadapted to engage the glass in the bath, a vertical framework havingmembers at the sides of the pot extending from a point below the pot toa point thereabove, and having at its upper end a removable top memberlying above the pot, independent adjusting means at the corners of thetop member whereby such member may be adjusted bodily up and down andleveled up, and means mounted upon the framework for adjusting one ofthe rolls.

JOHN H. FOX.

